Looks like the Governor and several legislators will need to self-isolate for a few days. Senator Helene Duhamel (R-32/Rapid City) tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday:
A South Dakota lawmaker who earlier this week visited Gov. Kristi Noem’s mansion and attended her budget address in Pierre has tested positive for COVID-19.
Sen. Helene Duhamel, R-Rapid City, alerted Senate majority leadership Wednesday that she had fallen ill and tested positive with coronavirus since returning home from the capitol where she and other legislators met the day prior.
“When I learned (this morning) about the positive test — which was this morning — I asked the senator for permission to notify senators that were in Pierre yesterday,” said Lee Schoenbeck, the Watertown Republican serving as President Pro Tempore in the Senate [Joe Sneve, “S.D. Lawmaker Diagnosed with Covid-19 After Attending Dinner at Gov. Noem’s Mansion,” that Sioux Falls paper, 2020.12.09].
Senator Duhamel joined Governor Noem and other female GOP legislators to pose masklessly and without social distance for this photo in the Capitol Tuesday:
Thank you, Senator Duhamel, Governor Noem, and GOP caucus, for this example of how not to behave during a pandemic.
Update 12:39 CST: The Governor’s Office insists the Governor did not have close contact with the Senator. Governor Noem continued to post, yesterday and today, pictures of herself flouting CDC guidelines and crowding close to people without wearing a mask:
Better a live sheep, than a dead duck. Wear a mask if not for you for the people around you. Oh well, we all don’t live in Noem fantasy land.
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/09/944844088/u-s-hits-highest-one-day-death-toll-from-coronavirus-with-3-054
Early kristmas lump of coal for drumpf/noem body count owners. Experts say to expect 4k bodies per day to count in January. Should easily make 300,000 deaths by this weekend. Highest numbers in drumpf’s failed reign of terror.
I don’t have any sympathy to give to irresponsible people. The best thing that could happen is if she and the rest of the irresponsible people would die quickly before they can infect others.
Why don’t you try to find out who is building the 19 million dollar barn in Huron? Any relation to our governor?
Someone on Cory’s staff must have connections with Daily Beast…
https://www.thedailybeast.com/south-dakota-sen-helene-duhamel-sick-with-covid-after-dinner-at-gov-kristi-noems-mansion
Maybe noem’s as lousy at cooking as she is at governing.
Donald Pay, literally wishing death upon someone because of political differences. What a wretched, miserable human being you are.
Neal, herd immunity is the republican strategy. Mr. Pay points out only what has been stated by them as their policy, why are you so surprised at what he wrote? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyKaK5-3fTU
This is just one link, there are several that give their herd immunity as the plan. So yeah, the idea is a die off, regardless of gender or of party. Wake up to the madness of king trump and the queen of GNOem nothing. Herd immunity is the plan to see how many people can die or get sick from this virus and the sooner the better.
At least Duhamel notifed the Legislature, the MN Republicans that got COVID didn’t even have the curtesy to notify the DFL Legislators.
Has Kristi had an antibody test?
Asking people to exert just a little bit of responsibility during a pandemic cannot be classified as a “political difference”. You need to realize that these people are infecting others and some are dying. If you are okay with that, just remember, the hand and finger you point with, has three other fingers pointing back at you. (“wretched, miserable human being” )
Here Marty Two Bulls latest take on Kristi.
https://www.gocomics.com/m2bulls/2020/12/10
Neal, there are consequences to irresponsible behavior. Those of us wearing masks, socially distancing and staying home are trying to get Covid under control so that no one has to suffer from this disease. We are being undermined by irresponsible people like Noem and Duhamel. One way to get Covid under control is for the irresponsible people to die, so they can’t infect any more innocent, responsible people. So, yeah, as a disease prevention measure I want those people to die quickly before they infect others.
I don’t wish anyone ill but this is getting a little redundant.
If I had a child that kept touching a hot oven… after about the third time, I’d haul their butt down to see the psychiatrist.
Yeah. What Don Pay said.
Anyway, the people in that picture often talk about their desire to be with their Heavenly Father.
James, LOL, yeah, I put my whole flippin’ palm on Mom’s hot iron once. Once.
Tom Pokela, my thoughts exactly. It ain’t a Golden Calf, but it sure looks like one. Noem is so damn corrupt she’ll most likely get a kickback, from some Minnesota big-money donor, to have his firm build the gawdawful bloated thing. 19 million bucks for an overblown pole barn. What in the actual hell? And almost NEVER one word about Covid from NO-nothing-em.
Neal, Donald did not mention political differences. Donald spoke of irresponsible behavior, which endangers the irresponsible and the responsible alike. Do you advocate irresponsible behavior?
In general I welcome and celebrate political differences, Neal. I grew up in a Republican family, but diverged from the party as a teen over Vietnam and civil rights policies. I am more of a fiscal conservative than Donald Trump though my budgetary priorities are vastly different. Giving tax breaks to the rich and exploding the deficit is insanity, which puts me at odds with the liberal Republican Party, but that’s not a reason for my statements above. Republicans talk a lot about personal responsibility, yet they fail to practise it. It’s hypocritical, but it also puts others at extreme risk. Better she dies than she infects someone who is trying to be responsible.
Come on So Daks, Kristi is running for Prez, a few hundred dead are fine with her. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture and of course avoid the anti-maskers like the plague because they will get it and you don’t need it.
GNOem knows if she does get it, she will get the $650,000.00 trump/rudy treatment. Down for a couple of days, but then, just high for a few more. Not bad if you gots the connections. Poor Duh amel will just have to wing it like Chris Christy had to. Oh well, if you can’t pay, don’t play.
GNOem better hope like hell that if she’s gonna get that virus, she gets it before Biden takes over or else he may just leave her to her own stank.
WR, Marty makes a great visual reference to Custer in that cartoon. We can only hope Kristi is charging with her overconfidence into her last stand; it’s just too darn bad that she’s going to drag so many South Dakotans to their demise.
I grew up with Helene, the Duhamels lived on “The Boulevard” in our neighborhood and went to the Cathedral as did our family. Mary Duvall (ne Lindblom), standing to Helene’s right in this photo was my school friend from K-12. Helene went to parochial school; Mary and I to Wilson/South/Central. Mary and I went to the Central/Stevens senior prom together.
They’re both super smart, rational people. But not in this situation, and maybe others. I don’t know for sure, anymore.
Duhamel has been hospitalized today…..
Hard to know what “super-smart” and “rational” means to others.
Nothing in my 45-year peripheral acquaintanceship with Helene Duhamel suggests to me that those are qualities one could associate with her.
Meanwhile, another million out of work. “For the week ending Dec. 5, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that new state claims soared 137,000 to a seasonally adjusted 853,000. New claims under the federal program climbed 139,000 to 428,000 for a total of 1.28 million, a rise over the previous week of 27%. As noted here last week, the surge in additional new claims was expected because the surge in COVID-19 cases has forced several states to impose or reimpose restrictions on economic activity and that means more furloughs or layoffs.”
Her majesty the queen of super spreading, proclaims that all of her subjects be bestowed with the coveted covid award in order to save the realm.
When people can’t/don’t think there’s a problem, it’s little surprise they can’t/won’t agree on a solution. How many times I’ve heard “99 percent of people recover from COVID” out here in the hinterlands of west river South Dakota. If that’s insignificant, people have been way too overly concerned about drunk drivers over the years.
3.3 people per 100,000 killed in South Dakota in 2012 by drunk drivers (5.7 per 100,000 nationwide). 126 people per 100,000 killed by COVID in South Dakota this year.
https://www.cdc.gov/…/drunk_driving_in_sd.pdf
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109011/coronavirus-covid19-death-rates-us-by-state/
When I read Jake’s post about Duhamel being hospitalized, I wondered why society wastes resources on her, rather than my usual response of “I hope she’s OK.” I guess I’m channeling my latent Republicanism, Neal.
I still can’t (and never will) understand the Russian Roulette approach to a DEADLY PANDEMIC.
I shake my head so much, it about falls off my shoulders
Soo sad that Helene Duhamel and even RCAS Superintendent Lori Simon:
https://rapidcityjournal.com/eedition/page-a3/page_1dda966c-aad7-5be8-bdd2-920b1fe6afa7.html
both got hoodwinked by mask-denier knoem. Now peoples everywhere across South Dakota scrambling to get tested and self-quarantine.
RC Journal also reporting South Dakota nursing homes highest in nation in recent positive Covid cases and deaths among residents with the short staff also affected with absence, illness and death. But of course knoem says (from Texas) that is to be expected….
All those standing underneath her droplets better get their health insurance in order.
Bet more than one noem body count victim’s family has ‘cussed her’ worthless hide.
Note that the photo of Superintendent Simon and the Governor was taken in December 2019, not 2020. If it was a current photo, Simon would have definitely been wearing a mask. Our Governor, still no.
Today (Saturday 12/12) in D.C.
“This Weekend’s MAGA Rally Speakers Are Coming From the Nation’s Biggest Covid Hot Spots
Among those descending on DC: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and the My Pillow guy.”
https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/12/11/this-weekends-maga-rally-speakers-are-coming-from-the-nations-biggest-covid-hot-spots/?fbclid=IwAR3GtzM_7IVMWgtu_GEyOW_enPDZPhKJ1D8FH3ZMFLS8qa1qdWhzAK1kFdM
Damn virus just killed Charley Pride.
I believe Laurie is referring to a photo in DS’s paywalled link, not any of the December 2020 photos in this blog post.
Did anybody find out if the young lady, Ms. Duhamel, has recovered and doing fine?